Get A Private (Personalised) Number Plate: Step By Step Guide

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Finding a number plate to showcase your personality

Guest post by Claire Ward

Owning a private number plate for your car might seem like an unattainable dream, but if you actually look into the process of getting a personalised registration, you’ll quickly realise that it is easier than you thought.

Here is a quick overview of the steps to take to snap up a private plate and use it to make your vehicle look a little more unique when it’s out on the open road.

Buy A Private Plate

This is obviously the most exciting part of the process, since you can pick and choose from a huge variety of plates using a site like Absolute Reg. An online search tool will certainly make it easy to create a custom plate that is based on your name, your initials or some other important word or phrase that is special to you.

Private plates vary in price according to their uniqueness, complexity and desirability, so it is worth browsing thoroughly before you buy if you want to get a good deal and still invest in a plate that fits the parameters you have laid down.

You can also buy personalised plates from private owners, with direct sales and auctions often arranged for this purpose. However, it is arguably more convenient to stick with a main dealer rather than having to worry about haggling.

One thing that is worth considering is that the value of your private plate may appreciate over time, with some experts claiming that it is an investment. This is not always the case, of course, but does present an interesting option if you are hoping to justify the upfront cost.

Assign The Plate To Your Car

There are a number of ways to assign a new personalised registration to your vehicle; you can either use the government’s online portal to achieve this, or apply via the post.

Bear in mind that there are some restrictions on the eligibility of cars in relation to assignment of private plates. A vehicle must be UK-registered, fully taxed and have an up to date MOT. It must also be available for inspection by the authorities if the need arises, although an in-person inspection is not a necessity in and of itself.

Contact A Plate Supplier & Get The Plates Installed

Once you have assigned your new personalised plate to your vehicle, you will need to get a set of plates mate up at one of the many officially sanctioned suppliers.

Every registered supplier of number plates in the UK will require that customers supply them with a valid form of ID, including a passport or a driver’s license, along with the certificate which proves that they are the owner of the vehicle.

The good news is that if everything is in order, it takes a very short amount of time to get private number plates made for your car. And so long as they are made to accepted standards, you can get them fitted and take them for a spin in a jiffy.